Airedalandia
Airedalandia is sovereign state in western Centralius, bordered by Ellisland, Gentelibre, Girania and Hapshire. Though they do not share any land boarders, the island nations of the Welver Isles Federation and Yeltove are in close proximity of Airedalandia's coast. It is a Constitutional Monarchy, in which the King officially holds ultimate executive authority. However, the country is governed by a Representative Democracy, its two most notable and powerful organs being the Executive Council (which the Prime Minister is chair) and the unicameral Parliament. Airedalandia is a federation of two formerly sovereign states, Airedale and Santobrillo. The governments of their capitals of Airedale and Guarnizo, respectively, hold considerable powers concerning internal self-governance, and many laws are notably different between the two regions. Each also has its own language (Airedalian and Santobrillan) which are co-official at the national level. After uniting in the aftermath of the mutually devastating Second Airedalian-Santobrillan War (1756-69), which ended with Airedale's famous defensive victory at the Battle of Lago Gómez, the united nation became a world power in its own right, establishing a sizeable colonial empire protected by a navy that would go unmatched for much of the 19th century. Through the later half of the 19th century continuing into the 20th, the colonies were granted increasing degrees of self-governance. Modern-day Airedalandia, through its strong ties to its former colonies, five of which share the same monarch and engage in free trade and collective defence under the auspices of the Airedalandian Commonwealth, and its expanded economic might after emerging victorious in the Great War (1942-49), has become a Superpower. Etymology Airedale, a predecessor state to Airedalandia, had a capital city called Aire. In the early days of the Kingdom of Airedale in the 12th to 13th centuries (before it was known as Airedale), the dale (valley) surrounding Aire became the heart of the kingdom, and over time Aire and its surrounding smaller settlements became collectively known as “Airedale.” In an effort to bolster support for the union of Airedale and Santobrillo, the Aire Herald distributed numerous publications containing the slogan “for a better land of the Airedales.” Soon, this became shortened to “Airedaleland.”When the name was said in Santobrillan, it didn't flow well, and soon an extra syllable was added to the end. So was born the name of Airedalandia. History Prior to 1756 Second Airedalian-Santobrillan War In 1756, the long-held tensions between Airedale and Santobrillo boiled over following the assassination of Prince Lewis of Airedale in what was then the buffer state of Northern Gatewood. Northern Gatewood, created following the First Airedalian-Santobrillan War (1706-1718), was created two provide a boundary between the two states and prevent another war. However, the boarders of Northern Gatewood, having been drawn on roughly ethno-religious lines, gave rise to a nationalist movement, the Brotherhood of Sasmin Patriots (BSP). Their goal was the removal of foreign troops from their traditional homeland and ending the suppression of their religion, Sasminism. On July 19th, 1756, while riding in his carriage on his way to an official reception at the Airedalian Embassy by diplomatic staff and the President of Northern Gatewood, Prince Lewis, Heir to the Airedalian throne and the sole surviving son on King Charles IV, was shot by a musket-baring Sasmin Brother. He died within hours, and upon learning multiple Northern Gatewoodish soldiers guarding the prince's carriage had either sympathised with the BSP or been successfully bribed, the Kingdom of Airedale declared war on Northern Gatewood. The Republic of Santobrillo was forced to launch its own invasion of Northern Gatewood or face a major strategic disadvantage. As Santobrillan troops poured into Northern Gatewood from the south as the Airedalians invaded from the north, clashes between the two invading forces began to occur, some notably by accident. One such incident, the First "Battle" of Crystalview Hill, started when a Santobrillan soldier trying to light a fire for cooking ignited spilled gunpowder, which in turn lit off nearby stored ammunition, in what the rest of the camp thought was an attack by the Airedalians who were known to be in the area. During the war both nations tried to deny the other access to the resources of their colonies. One such tactic used by the Santobrillans was to incite unrest in the Airedalian colonies, which in two cases led to successful revolutions, in Gillworthia and Valhunnia. The desire to end the war in Valhunnia was also important factor that swayed Airedale to be open to a negotiated peace. 1769 to 1809 After taking huge casualties at the Battle of Lago Gómez, which was supposed to be the start of a counter-offensive that would turn the war back in Santobrillo's favour, and with waning support for the war among its citizens, who were enduring brutal shortages of various goods brought on by a successful Airedalian naval blockade that effectively cut of Santobrillo from its colonies, peace seemed an appealing option. Colonial Era Great War to present day Category:IC